Coil upender



E. A. HORTON COIL UPENDER Jan. 9, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 13,1959 INVENTOR. 54w. '4. HavrO/Y Mow Jan. 9, 1962 E. A. HORTON 3,016,158

con. UPENDER Filed April 15. 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I f I I I N VENTOR. [49L ,4. #04 00 Arrow/e) United States Patent 3,016,158 COILUPENDER Earl A. Horton, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to The Yale andTowne Manufacturing Company, Stamford, Conn., a corporation ofConnecticut I Filed Apr. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 806,039

. 4 Claims. (Cl. 214-652) This invention relates to an upender, whichwhile useful in handling a variety of articles, is particularlyimportant in the handling of large rolls or coils of strip steel andtinplated steel, as used in the can manufacturing industry.

The can manufacturing industry has been utilizing larger and largerquantities of steel in roll or coil form. These coils of steel may be aslarge as 57" in diameter and weigh upwards of 15,000 lbs. The handlingof these coils, accordingly, presents a difficult problem. The problemis further aggravated by the fact that the large, heavy coils must bevery carefully handled to prevent bending or tearing of the edges as anybent or torn edges would play havoc with the finely adjusted automaticcan making machines. Any rough handling of the coils would necessarilyresult in damage of the coils and a high rate of rejects.

These large heavy coils of steel are mounted in the canmaking machineswith their axes or cores horizontal. The coils are, however, receivedfrom the steel plants mounted on pallets or skids with their axes orcores vertical. Thus the coils must be taken from the pallets or skidsand upended for mounting on the can-making machines. For

the most efficient and economical handling, it must be I possible forthe coils to be placed on and removed from the same side of the upenderto thereby eliminate the necessity of moving the loading truck or hoistfrom the front to the rear of the upender and to save the valuable floorspace that would otherwise be necessary for such movement from the frontto the rear of the upender. Upending of such coils in this manner hasbeen very effectively handled heretofore by apparatus of the 'typedescribed in the oopending Quayle application, Serial Number 690,057,filed October 14, 1958, and assigned to The Yale & Towne ManufacturingCo., the same assignee as the instant application. The Quayle apparatus,while being effective for the purpose, is extremely heavy and utilizes aseries of controlled operations that require considerable powermechanism. The present invention provides a much simpler but veryeffective upender which will also permit the coils to be placed in andremoved from the same side of the upender. t

In accordance with the invention, the upender includes a memberproviding a surface on which a palletized coil may be received with theaxis of the coil in a generally vertical position. Means are providedfor rotating said member about an axis extending at an angle to saidsurface and to the horizontal and vertical so that the member moves in apath defining a generally right angle conical plane whereby the memberis moved from aposition in which the coil receiving surface extends in agenerally horizontal direction to a' position in which the surfaceextends in a generally vertical upward direction Side elements areprovided for engaging the outer periphery of the coil to support thecoil as the surface is moved from the horizontal direction to thevertical direction. It will be appreciated that during this rotation theweight of the coil will gradually be accepted by the side elements asthe axis of the coil is gradually moved from its generally verticalposition to its generally horizontal position. By reason of the relationof the side elements to the coil receiving surface, and the geometry ofrotation, no means for clamping the coils are necessary.

The invention contemplates the side elements having 3,016,158 PatentedJan. 9, 1962 surfaces inclined toward each other to form a generally Vsection to effectively hold coils of a range of diameters. The inventionalso contemplates spacing the side elements from the coil receivingsurface to accommodate the pallets on which the coils are generallymounted. I

The invention having been broadly described, a more detailed descriptionof one embodiment of the invention is given hereunder by reference tothe accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the upender of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational'view showing a coil of strip steel mounted on apallet prior to the placement on the upender;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view showing the upender with a coil mounted on apallet in place on the upender preparatory to upending the coil;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view showing the upender and a coil mountedon a pallet in place on the upender preparatory to upending the coil; 1

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view similar to that of FIG..4, but showingthe coil upended ready for removal from the upender, and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a lift truck carrying the coil asremoved from the upender in the position shown in FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, the upenderincludes a'plate member 10 providing a surface adapted, when in agenerally horizontal position,

to receive a coil mounted on a pallet with the axis of the.

coil extending in a vertical direction. The pallet P with the coil Cthereon is shown in FIG. 2 prior to the placement thereof on the"surface 10a. As is well known, the pallet P allows the forks F, asindicated in FIG. 3, to be inserted beneath the coil and pallet tofacilitate the lifting thereof. Thus, the palletized coil may be easilylifted by a fork lift truck and placed onto the surface 10a.

Plate member 10 is welded or otherwise fastened to a table 11. Table 11is mounted on a base 12 for rotation in a plane which extends atapproximately 45 to the vertical and horizontal directions. The platemember 10. may be reinforced bysuitable web 13, best shown in FIGS. 4and 5, which is welded between the bottom of the member 10 and the table1 1. The plate member 10 is fastened to the table 11 so that thesurface10a thereof extends at an angle of approximately 45 to the plane ofrotation of the table 11. Upon rotation of the table 11 through 180",the plate member 10- will be moved from a position as shown in FIGS. 1and 4inwhich the surface 10a extends in a generally horizontal directionto the position as shown in FIG. 5 in which the surface 10a extends in avertically upward direction from the original horizontal direction. Thusthe axis of the coil C is changed from the vertical direction to ahorizontal direction in which it may be removed by a lift. truck T withits axis horizontal, as shown in FIG. 6, so that it may .be placed in asuitable machine. As will hereafter be described in detail, sideelements 14 and 15 gradually accept the weight of the coil C as themember 10 is rotated'to change the position thereof from one in whichthe surface 10a extends in a generally horizontal direction to one inwhich the surface extends in a generally vertical direction. Because ofthe provision of the side elements 14 and 1-5 and the geometry of therotation, no means for clamping the coil during upending is necessary.

The path of movement of the surface 10a may be best described asdefining a generally right angle conical plane or surface. Thus a lineA-A on the surface 10a would generate a right angle conical surface orplane upon rotation of the table 11 through 360. By reason of thismovement the surface 10a is always presented towards the front of theupender, so that the coil 0 may be placed on and removed from the sameside of the upender, thus minimizing the movement of the loading andunloading truck and the space necessary for the movement of the truck.

As previously stated, when the table 11 is rotated to change theposition of the member from one in which the surface 10a extends in ahorizontal direction to one in which the surface 16a extendsin agenerally vertical direction, the weight of the coil C is gradually,shifted from the surface 10a and gradually accepted by side elements 14and 15 which engage the outer peripheral surface of the coil-C, as bestshown in FIG. 3. Side elements 14 and 15 are conveniently securedtogether by an integral, inter-connecting portion 16. Portion 16, inturn, is welded or otherwise secured to an upstanding plate bracket 17.Plate bracket 17 is welded. or otherwise secured to the table 11.Suitable reinforcing webs 18 and 19 extending between, and welded to orotherwise fastened to, the side elements 14 and 15 .and the platebracket 17 may be provided.

I As best shown in FIG. 3, the inner surfaces 140 and 15a of sideelements 14 and 15 are inclined toward each other to form a generallyV-section, so that they may accommodate and effectively hold coils ofvarious diameters.

As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the bottoms of the side elements '14 and15 are spaced from the surface 10a to accommodate the pallet P whilestill allowing the periphery of the coil C to be effectively engaged bythe side elements 14 and 15, so that they may gradually accept theweight as the upender is operated.

The table 11 is adapted to be rotated by a suitable power source 20through bevel gears 21 and 22 and shaft 23.. The shaft 23 is secured tothe bottom of the table 11 and is journalled in the base 12. Suitableanti-friction means, such as the ball bearing 24 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5,may be interposed between the table 11 and the base 12 to accept thethrust between the table 11 and the base 12 and to decrease friction. Asbest shown in FIG. 4, the surface 101: while generally horizontal,slopes slightly downward from the absolute horizontal towards theinclined side elements 14 and 15 so that the tendency is for the coil tomove into engagement with the side elements 14 and 15. t

From the above description it can be seen that there is provided arelatively simple but extremely effective upender. The upender willaccommodate coils of various diameters even when the coils are mountedon pallets. The upender may be both loaded and unloaded from the sameside, thereby eliminating the necessity of moving the loading apparatusfrom the front to the rear of the upender and saving the floor spacewhich would otherwise be necessary for such movement.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, itwill be appreciated that this is for the purpose of illustration onlyand that changes and modifications may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention.

I now claim:

1. An upender comprising a member providing a surface for receiving anarticle, means for moving said memberin a path of movement definingagenerally right angle conical surface of revolution having an axisextending at approximately 45 to the horizontal to thereby move saidsurface from a position in which said surface extends in a said surfaceto accommodate a pallet on which the article is supported.

2. An upender comprising a member providing a surface for receiving anarticle, means for moving said memher in a path of movement defining agenerally right angle conical surface of revolution having an axisextending at approximately 45 to the horizontal to thereby move saidsurface from a position in which siad surface extends in a generallyhorizontal direction so that an article may be placed thereon to aposition in which said surface extends substantially vertically upwardrelative to said horizontal direction, and side elements engageable withthe outer periphery of said article and movable with said surface foraccepting the weight of said article as said surface is moved from agenerally horizontal direction to a generally vertical direction, saidside elements being spaced from said surface to accommodate a pallet onwhich the article is supported and having plane surfaces inclined towardeach other so as to be engageable with the peripheral surface ofcylindrical articles of various diameters.

3. An upender comprising a base, a table mounted for rotation on saidbase in a plane extending in approximately 45 to the horizontal, meansfor rotating said table, a member secured to said table providing asurface extending at approximately 45 to said plane, and side elementssecured to-said table and extending above and at the sides of saidsurface for accepting the weight of an article placed on said surfacewhen said table is rotated to move said member from a position in whichsaid surface extends in a substantially horizontal direction to aposition in which said surface extends in a substantially verticaldirection upwardly, from said horizontal direction, said side elementsbeing spaced from said surface to accommodate a pallet on which thearticle is supported.

4. An upender comprising a base, a table mounted for rotation on saidbase in a plane extending at approximate-' ly 45 to the horizontal,means for rotating said table, a member secured to said table providinga surface extending at approximately 45 to said plane, and side elementssecured to said table and extending'above and at the sides of saidsurface for accepting the weight of an article placed on said surfacewhen said table is rotated to move said member from a position in whichsaid surface extends in a substantially horizontal direction to aposition in which said surface extends in a substantially verticaldirection upwardly from said horizontal direction, said side elementsbeing spaced from said surface to accommodate a pallet on which thearticle is supported and having plane surfaces inclined toward eachother so as to be engageable with the peripheral surface of cylindricalarticles of various diameters.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES *PATENTS

